Optical Illusions
Anti-Gravity Mirror
Here’s an exhibit where watching is at least half the fun. You can create any number of gravity-defying illusions that will amaze you and your friends: Levitate, fly, swim though the air, grow limbs (and dissolve them), crawl straight up the wall like a lizard—the sky’s the limit.
Where: Crossroads: Getting Started
Benham's Disk
When the disk is spun, the colors you see are illusions. This effect was popularized in 1894 by toymaker C. E. Benham, who called his spinning disk an “artificial spectrum top."
Where: Crossroads: Getting Started
Big Chair, Little Chair
Each of the chairs in this series has dimensions that are twice that of the smaller chair. But doubling the dimension of a chair doesn’t double its strength.
Café Wall Illusion
These tiles aren't really crooked–they just look that way.
Where: Crossroads: Getting Started
Cheshire Cat
Make your partner's face disappear, leaving only a smile.
Where: This exhibit is not currently on view.
Dioximoirekinesis
A kinetic pattern seems to move as a visitor's viewpoint shifts.
Where: This exhibit is not currently on view.
Distorted Room
From one view, this room looks like a normal room, but people and things inside may seem quite strange.
Where: Gallery 5: Outdoor Exhibits
Giant Mirror
This giant mirror was originally part of a flight simulator. Its size and near-perfect smoothness makes for astonishing optical (and acoustic) effects.
Gray Step
With the rope hanging down, the left and right sides of the board appear identical. Lifting the rope shows the dramatic difference that your eyes missed—and continue to miss, as soon as you let the rope fall again.
Look Into Infinity
Reflections bounce back and forth into infinity.
Where: This exhibit is not currently on view.
Lumen-Illusion
Flashing lights create the illusion of motion.
Magic Wand
Wave the wand quickly and see an image appear.
Mirrorly a Window
Confusing sensory information can be profoundly disturbing.
Moving Objects
Hundreds of black rings travel randomly left and right along more than fifty horizontal strings. Closer examination reveals that the strings are driven at each end by small motors and that the rings that seem to pass through each other are actually bouncing against one another.
Where: Ray and Dagmar Dolby Atrium
Touch the Spring
Light from a real spring bounces off the mirror to form the image you see.
